All That Matters
by Maveriqua
Summary: Matthew was left on a doorstep when he was only 1. The ring that was left with him is the only clue to his past. 18 years later, soldiers come to home to steal the ring, prompting Matthew and his friends to go on a long journey to figure out the ring's meaning. But what are they really looking for? Rated for violence later. Human!AU. Germa/Ita fluf. Renamed from Meaning of the Ring
1. The Child

Once upon a time...

It was a dark and stormy night. Really, really stormy. The wind was pounding so hard against the villa that they windows rattled. Just the perfect way to start a story. But that was not what Arthur Kirkland was thinking about. Arthur was the owner of the villa in question, and he was busy putting spells on the windows to strengthen them. Or, trying to anyway.

"It's not going to work," yawned Francis Bonnefoy, Arthur's best friend/mortal enemy/frienemy.

"Shut up!" snapped Arthur. "I'm trying to concentrate." He waved his wand in front of the windows and mumbled spells under his breath. "Virium dare, vitrum minime discutire..."

The windows abruptly shattered and Arthur jumped back. Francis snickered.

"Oh, sure, laugh it up, frog!" snapped Arthur. "Just get some blankets and nails, would you?"

To his credit, Francis held in the rest of his laughter until he was out of the room. Arthur sighed and turned back to the window just in time to see something move out of the corner of his eye. He frowned and leaned out the window to see a tall, thin shadow running along the sidewalk. _That's curious_, he thought.

"Arthur!" called Francis. "Where are the nails?"

"Right next to the gardening supplies!" Arthur called back. He quickly turned back to the window, but the shadow was gone. _How odd..._

That's when the doorbell rang.

"I will get it!" yelled Francis.

Arthur head the door open and a sharp gasp. "Francis? What's wrong?"

"A-arthur?" said Francis shakely. "You should see this."

Arthur's eyes widened. The last time he had heard Francis that nervous was when a battle had taken place only a few miles from the villa. He tried to keep calm as he walked towards the foyer. When he got there, Francis was standing in the middle of the room, holding a dripping wet bundle in his hands. Francis was biting his lip and holding the bundle tightly.

"What is it?" asked Arthur, eyeing the bundle. "Have those shirts I ordered finally come?"

He nearly smacked himself. What a stupid joke. He moved forward and uncovered the bundle. His eyes widened.

It was a baby. The child blinked sleepily and shivered, his thin blond hair sticking to his head from the rain.

They stood there in silence and shock for a few minutes. Then Arthur snapped out of it and all but grabbed the child out of Francis's arms. "W-well don't just stand there, frog! Get some towels and dry this child off before he catches cold for God's sake!"

As Francis ran off, Arthur noticed something in the child's fist: a small gold ring. But when he tried to take it out to examine it more closely, the child whimpered and closed his fist tighter.

Had he known how much trouble that ring would cause, Arthur would have ignored the child's cries. However, he didn't know what would happen, and so he simply took the dry towels Francis handed him. As he unwrapped the soaking blankets around the child, a piece of parchment fell out, so wet and smudged it was nearly unreadable.

_Matthew_

_1 year old_

_Please help him_

_I will _Arthur promised himself. _I will._

**So, you like so far? I hopefully will have a new chapter up in a few days. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks! :)**


	2. The Soldiers

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! I would have posted this two days ago, but I had a test (I really hate high school sometimes). I hope you like this next chapter. Matthew? You're up!**

**Matthew: Mav does not own Hetalia or any of us.**

* * *

_Maveriqua Presents: _

_The Meaning of the Ring_

_Starring..._

_Canada_

_England_

_France_

_America (THE HERO!)_

_China_

_Russia_

_And Featuring (In Order of Appearance)..._

_Poland_

_Japan_

_Romano_

_Northern Italy_

_Germany_

**Chapter Two: The Soldiers**

_Eighteen years later..._

Poke. Poke. "Mattie?" Poke. "Mattie!"

Matthew groaned and turned over.

"MATTHEW! DUDE! WAKE UP!"

Matthew shot bolt upright in bed, panting.

"I'm up! I'm..." he glanced to the side to see who had shouted.

Sitting next to his bed was a boy with dishwater blond hair, about Matthew's age, wearing a thick brown jacket, square glasses, and a huge grin.

Matthew groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Alfred..." he groaned.

Alfred laughed. "Finally, dude! You were sleeping like a rock! Arthur sent me up because we're having guests! Get ready, dude!"

Alfred spoke like that all the time: all in exclamation points. Matthew groaned and rolled out of bed. He'd forgotten about the small gathering that was to take place this afternoon. Matthew fumbled for his glasses on the nightstand and quickly put them on. He looked at the clock and his eyes widened. The afternoon was in about ten minutes. Matthew quickly ran over to his wardrobe and pulled on black pants, a white shirt, and a red jacket.

Matthew was downstairs in about a minute. Right away he saw something was wrong. The lights were not on. The room was dark. Arthur, who should have been standing at the bottom at the stairs, was instead stumbling out of his bedroom in his nightcap. Arthur's sleepy eyes wandered around the room until they found Matthew, like a deer caught in torchlights.

"Matthew?" asked Arthur. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I-" Matthew broke off as he glanced at the large grandfather clock in the front hall. It showed that the time was, in fact, ten to _five_. Five in the morning. Matthew blushed profusely as he heard Alfred's laughter from the top of the stairs.

Arthur groaned. "I'm going back to bed." As he turned to back to his room, he turned back around and pointed to his hair. "See these grey streaks?" he asked. "See them? These are from you guys."

Matthew walked slowly back up to his room. He glared at Alfred, who was literally rolling on the floor with laughter. "You should have seen your face, dude!"

Matthew hung his jacket back up and flopped on his bed, groaning. Alfred smirked, having finally gotten over his fit of laughter. "Hey, come on! It was funny!"

Matthew just groaned and tried to go back to sleep. Alfred sighed and held out his hand. "Come on dude! Truce?"

Matthew raised his head. He slowly put out his hand. Alfred grabbed it firmly and shook it. Just as Matthew relaxed, he was pulled off the bed and put in a headlock.

"Alfred! Getoff me!"

Alfred laughed again and rubbed Matthew's head with his knuckles. Alfred had invented the move himself. He'd dubbed it "the noogie".

After a few minutes of Matthew struggling. Alfred finally let him go. As Matthew rubbed his sore head Alfred stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm off to bed! Night!"

Matthew sighed and laid back down. "Night, Alfred."

_Six hours and ten minutes later..._

Now that it was actually noon, there was a knock at the door. Matthew went to the door and opened it. Outside stood three men. The first had chin length blond hair and a smirk on his face. The second was a stony-faced black haired man. The third was a grumpy-looking man with a random curl in his hair. All of them wore the light blue uniform of the Royal Army.

Matthew inclined his head respectfully. "We-welcome." he stuttered quietly.

Matthew stepped to the side to let the three men in to where Arthur was standing. Each of them shook hands with him and he lead them into his office. As he did, he glanced back at Matthew. It was the same look he gave Matthew every time guests were over. A rough translation would be _Keep yourself and your brother out of trouble or else_.

Matthew wasn't sure what 'or else' was, but he didn't want to find out. So he walked upstairs, turning into Alfred's room. Alfred was hunched over on the floor, his ear to the ground. Matthew walked over and tapped Alfred on the shoulder. Alfred yelped and jumped up. Matthew put his finger to his lips to signal Alfred to be quieter. Alfred nodded, but Matthew could see Alfred's leg bouncing up and down. Alfred hated three things more than anything else: Arthur's scones (which were dreadful), sitting still, and being quiet.

Alfred and Matthew both laid down on the floor. A few years ago, they had discovered a small gap in the floor of Alfred's room. Since Alfred's room was right above Arthur's office, that meant that if they listened, Matthew and Alfred could hear everything that they weren't supposed to hear. That was how they had found out that _no one _liked Arthur's scones, and that there was a civil war raging on the other side of the country, and that yes, Matthew _was_ adopted.

Secretly, Matthew had always figured he wasn't biologically related to anyone in the household. He wasn't as adventurous as Alfred, as, well, let's say as outgoing as Francis, or, heaven forbid, as businesslike as Arthur. He was always sort of the loner, the one who always had to speak up to be heard, the one who was never noticed coming into a room, or going out of it. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't make himself noticed, somehow.

Matthew was snapped out of his thoughts by raised voices from below. "What do mean, the king just wants the ring? What about the boy who's wearing it? What will happen to him?"

That was Arthur. Another voice, sounding slightly snooty, came up from below. "I, like, don't think that's really, like, any of your business."

"I've raised Matthew for the last eighteen years! So it _is_ my damn business what happens to him!"

There was silence. Alfred looked at Matthew with a confused look on his face. Matthew shrugged. They put their ears back to the hole, but there was silence. Then, there was a barely audible whisper.

"You don't know. Do you? You don't know where you're taking him." Arthur's voice got louder as he went on. "For all you know you could be taking an innocent boy to his death! I will not stand for this!"

A measured voice came from below. "Sir, if you would just listen..."

"Get. Out." snapped Arthur.

The measured voice came back. "By Article Five in the Code of Honor, if a soldier is invited into a suspicious house, he does not have to leave until the house is searched thoroughly."

There was the sound of a scuffle. The snooty voice came back. "Like, really?"

Suddenly, the front door opened. "I am home!" a new voice called. "Where is everyo-"

There was a clash of steel. "Francis!" called Arthur, his voice strained. "Get the boys! Get them and go!"

Back upstairs, Alfred jumped up. "I'll save you Artie!" he shouted, running downstairs. "I'm the hero!"

"Alfred!" called Matthew, running after him. Both boys sprinted downstairs, nearly running into Francis at the bottom. He caught both of them by the arms.

"What is going on?" questioned Francis.

"I don't..." panted Matthew, "They want...they were..."

There was a yell from the office. The door had opened and Arthur had fallen into the front hall. The blond man from before was standing above him, sword raised, ready to strike.

Matthew grabbed the first thing he could. "L-leave him alone!"

He threw the vase in his hands. It hit the wall beside the man. It did no damage, but the distraction was enough for Arthur to regain his footing. "Run!" he shouted. "Run!"

The four men sprinted out the front door and down the street like bats out of hell, and didn't stop until they reached the river three miles away.


	3. To Start a Bar Fight

**Thanks so much for all the reviews. I hope you like this next chapter. I will try to set a goal of updating every week (crosses fingers).**

**As for Poland being kind of a butt in the last chapter... suffice to say he wanted to get the meeting over with (I actually don't know his character very well, so sorry if he's a little OOC)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing! (Runs away being chased by Arthur, my dad, and all the other grammar freaks)**

The four men collapsed beside the water, gasping. For a while, they all just laid there, trying to process what had just occurred.

Francis was the first to get his breath back. "What...the hell...just...what?"

"I...don't...I just..." gasped Matthew.

Alfred crawled over to the stream, cupping the water in his hands and taking long gulps.

After about ten minutes, everyone felt rested enough to sit up. Francis posed his question again. "What the hell just happened?"

Arthur quickly explained what had happened. "What I thought would happen was that," he looked at Matthew guiltily, "well... it was supposed to be surprise, but I got a letter two days ago. What it _said_ was that they wanted you for an... well, sort of an internship in the capital. At the palace"

Matthew blinked. "Me?"

Arthur sighed, "That's what the letter said. Unfortunately, it seems they deliberately made it unclear that they did not want you..."

"They wanted my ring." Matthew finished. Arthur stared at him. "We heard the yelling upstairs," Matthew explained.

Francis frowned. "But... why do they want it?"

Everyone looked at Matthew, who shrugged. He looked at the ring on his finger for the ten thousandth time. It wasn't very ornate, just a simple gold band with runes carved around the edge in no recognizable language. The runes were the only clue as to where he was from. Or, they would be, if they were readable.

"I don't know."

Arthur stood up and brushed off his pants. "Well, we need to find out," he said, walking away. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" asked Matthew.

"I know a man in the capital; a ringsmith. Maybe he can tell us where the ring comes from."

Alfred blinked. "But isn't the capital, like, a gajillion miles away?"

Arthur sighed. "About a thousand. It will take us weeks, so we'd better start now."

Alfred grinned. "Road trip!"

MAPLEPASTAHEROSUNFLOWERBRATWURSTBLACKMAGICROSESNOODLESPANDAS

"The first thing we need to do is find a guide," said Arthur.

"Why?" asked Francis. "You go to the capital for business all the time. Don't you know the way?"

Arthur glared at Francis. "Use your head for once, frog! If the army came to our house, they are sure to be watching the roads by now. Loathe as I am to say it, we need someone who knows the... roads less travelled."

Francis grinned. "In that case, I know where to go. Follow me!"

Francis led them up a steep hill with a thin dirt path. When they got to the top, they saw a small, ramshackle hut. The words _Malchance Bed and Breakfast _were scrawled sloppily on a sign above the door. As Francis went to open the door, it flew open and a man stumbled out. He walked unsteadily over to Matthew and hugged him.

"Shara!" he sobbed. "You came bach! I mished you sooo..."

Then he fell over and started snoring.

_Okay..._ thought Matthew.

The group walked onto the porch and Francis pushed open the door. Inside was a room with no windows, lit only by candlelight. Several people sat around the filthy tables, playing cards, drinking beer, or sleeping.

As the boys all filled in to the room, there were several squeals. About five scantily clad young women ran up to Francis.

"Francis!" one of them squealed. "Where have you been?"

Francis turned to women. "Sorry, girls. I'm here on business."

The girls let out a simultaneous "Awwwww."

"Please?" said another. "Just a few minutes?"

Francis chuckled. "Onhonhonhon. All right." He put his arms around two of the girls, then winked at the others. "See you later."

As Francis walked away. Arthur stuttered and stammered. "Well-I never-!"

Matthew sighed and looked around. _I guess now I know where Francis goes on weekends. _"So...now what?"

Alfred shrugged. "Well...in the moving pictures, there's always a bar fight. Then the last guy standing is the one we need to pick!"

Matthew looked around. "But...there's no fighting."

Alfred grinned. "I can fix that! I'M THE HERO!"

And with that he turned around and punched the man sitting behind him. At first the man didn't seem to react. Then he slowly got up and turned around. Matthew gulped. The man was at least a head taller than Alfred and twice as wide. The man gazed at Alfred.

"You punched me, da?" asked the man, cocking his head.

"Yeah!" said Alfred, putting his fists up.

The man blinked and, reaching into his coat, took out a long metal pipe. "That wasn't very smart."

To his credit, Alfred didn't look scared at all. He simply hopped from one foot to the other, holding his fists up. Luckily, timing was on their side. Before either man had a chance to hit, the door to the bar opened again. Matthew looked over, and his eyes widened. Coming through the door were the three soldiers that had been at the house. The grumpy looking one seemed to be nursing a black eye. Matthew tapped Arthur, who was still glaring after Francis, on the shoulder and nodded towards the soldiers. Arthur grabbed Alfred by the shoulder. "Let's go," he said.

Alfred pouted. "But I was just getting warmed up!"

"I don't care. We have company."

The large man with the pipe noticed what they were looking at and frowned. "Those are soldiers." He looked back at them. "You are in trouble then, da?"

Arthur nodded as he and the two other men hid behind a table. "You could say that."

Luckily, the soldiers didn't seem to notice them. They sat down at the bar. The grumpy one was muttering just loud enough that Matthew could hear him. "Stupid... was supposed to be easy...dumb tea bastard..."

The stony-faced one looked at him. "We will find them Sergeant Vargas," he said in a heavily accented voice. "We just need to be patient." He turned to the bartender. "Three waters. We can't drink on duty."

Vargas sighed. "Come on, Honda. Lighten up a little." He turned to the barman. "Make that three beers. Strong ones."

Honda looked wearily at the brown haired man. "We're still on duty. So you must call me Lieutenant Hiraku. And not drink. It will interfere with your ability to carry out orders. Three waters."

"Three beers."

"Three waters."

"Beer."

"Water."

Vargas turned to the man with the pipe, who was staring at them. "Oi, pipe bastard! Would you tell Lieutenant Hiraku here that I can have a beer?"

The tall man blinked. "No."

The man blinked and seemed surprised. "Like, no? Don't you know who I am?"

The tall man glanced down at him. "An idiot?"

The Sergeant stood up and inflated with pride. "I am a member of the Royal Army!" He motioned to the stripes on his jacket.

The tall man grinned and gripped his pipe. "And I am a man who just hates it when stuck up idiots pull rank on him. Kolkolkolkolkolkolkol..."

Another man with his hair in a ponytail stood up and quickly walked over to Matthew and the others. "We should leave, aru," he said. "When Ivan gets mad, he sometimes does not look where he is going."

Before they could protest, the man dragged them outside as Ivan's "Kolkolkol"s got louder. Just as they got through the door, there was a high pitched scream. There was the sound of metal crashing against something. The four men bolted. "Wait for me!" yelled Francis, running out just behind them.

"Took you long enough!" snapped Arthur as the five reached the bottom of the hill. They stayed there, breathing heavily.

Man, thought Matthew, I haven't run around this much since Alfred stuck a slug down my shirt.

Finally the sounds from the top of the hill quieted. Down the hill came Ivan, smiling like nothing had happened, with suspicious red stains on his coat and pipe. "Feel better, aru?" asked the ponytailed man.

Ivan nodded. "Da, much better, thank you Yao." He turned to Arthur. "Why were you hiding? They were not so tough."

As Arthur grit his teeth, Matthew sighed. "It's like this..." He quickly explained, with some interjections from the others, everything that had happened. When he finished, Yao frowned and tugged at his red jacket of his suit. "So, let me get this straight, aru. You need us to guide you because the whole Royal Army is chasing after you for a ring?"

Arthur shrugged. "It seems so."

Yao looked at Ivan. "What do you think?"

Ivan thought for a minute. "Maybe if the boy apologizes for hitting me..."

Alfred blinked. "You still mad about that? Oh, okay, sorry."

Ivan smiled. "Apology accepted." He started walking down the road. "Come along. Those soldiers will regain consciousness soon."

Matthew shook his head as he walked after him. _What have I gotten myself into?_

**Canada: What ****_have_**** I gotten myself into? **

**America: Why does the army want the ring? Will our friends escape? Will I ever get to demonstrate my heroics?**

**England: Will Amer- I mean Alfred stop being so annoying?**

**Russia: Will everyone become one with Russia?**

**China: Stay tuned, aru!**

**Italy: PASTA!**


	4. The Diary of Honda Hiraku

**Here is chapter 4, folks!**

**Italy: Mav does not own Hetalia. PASTA!**

_May 12, 1512 A. D._

_11:05_

_Well, that could have gone better. After I regained consciousness, I saw the boy and his companions were gone. I had seen them go in, and I had been preparing to grab them when Sergeant Vargas, as the youth might say, "royally pissed off" the man with the pipe._

_Note to self: Try not to anger someone wielding a pipe when you are half his size._

_We searched all around the bar (or what was left of it), but couldn't find any clues. Distraught, we returned to base and explained what had happened. Needless to say, our boss was not pleased. _"Great! Just great! We finally find this kid after eighteen years, and you lose him!"

_He pointed at Feliks and Lovino. _"You and you. In my office. Now."

_Then he turned to me. _"As for you, Second Lieutenant... well, just be grateful you're getting transferred out."

_As he walked off, I sat down with some relief. That had been a close one. If Sergeant Vargas picked another fight, he might get a dishonorable discharge. If he wanted to uphold his family's reputation..._

_I sighed and shook my head. His brother, I hoped, would be different. Unlike the Sergeant, Second Lieutenant Feliciano Vargas had enlisted instead of being drafted. He and I had talked over the phone yesterday, and he had said something about wanting to be "Just like Grandpa!"_

_Well, that made sense to me. Commander Dux Vargas was very renowned, fighting side by side with his men until he fell in the civil war five years ago. I may have mentioned this before, but I looked up to him, in a way, and I was grateful for the chance to fight with his (hopefully more mature than his brother) grandson._

_As I write this, I travel with my company to Treffen Roads, where I shall meet Second Lieutenant Vargas and our other companion, First Lieutenant Ludwig Herrscher. Together, we shall search for the boy, Matthew, and the ring he wears. I am still confused as to the ring's importance. I only hope that my companions will have more information._

_12:30_

_This is the first opportunity I have had to write since I have arrived. I have met both of my co-Lieutenants. My first impressions of them were... unique._

_Lieutenant Herrscher_

_He seems to be quite the military man. He looks familiar somehow, but I cannot place it. I am surprised I have never heard of him before. His troops are disciplined and fierce. I believe he and I will get along very well._

_Lieutenant Vargas_

_He's not a bad leader, exactly, but he seems a little... reluctant to fight. He is quite nice (both to Lt. Herrscher and I and his troops), and a good cook, although he seems a little too fond of this dish he calls "pasta", though I suppose I cannot talk. I eat way too much rice. He is unlike his grandfather, but he seems friendly enough._

_I must close now, it is time for training._

**Please review!**


	5. Flight-

**So, this week and next week are exam weeks at school, meaning I'll study a lot and update slower, probably (ugh)**

**Luckily, summer is almost here, so updates will hopefully be quicker in two weeks**

**Also, quick warning, this chapter is a little darker than previous ones. There's a little bit of angst near the end, so, yeah**

**Also, this story is now over 5000 words long! So, yay!**

**China: Maveriqua does not own any of us, aru!**

* * *

_**Matthew's Perspective:**_

"Are we there yet?" asked Alfred.

Arthur sighed. "No, we are not there yet! This is the forty-eighth time you've asked in as many hours!"

Yao blinked. "You're actually keeping track aru?"

Arthur groaned. "Can you just get us out of here? I'm boiling."

Ivan, who, for some reason, was still wearing his coat, passed Arthur the water bottle. "I don't know what you're complaining about. I prefer this heat to," he shivered, "well, I do not speak his name." He turned around, "I am right, Matvey, da?"

Matthew shrugged and took the water bottle from Arthur. "It's... definitely the long way around. Are you sure we can't just cut through the forest?"

Ivan shook his head. "The forest is an obvious choice. No sane man would ever dare to cross this desert."

Arthur blinked sweat out of his eyes. "So... why are we here?"

Francis smirked. "You weren't listening. He said no _sane _man."

"Ha, ha."

The six trudged across the desert in the blazing heat. The sun beat down on them.

_One hour later:_

"Are we there yet?"

"No!"

_And one hour after that:_

"Are we ther-"

Arthur spun around. "Ask one more time Alfred! I dare you! I swear, I will take this water bottle and shove it-"

"Look!" yelled Francis, pointing into the distance, away from the setting sun.

Matthew squinted, took of his glasses and polished them, then looked again. There was no mistaking it: a mountain range, and at the very top, a thin strip of green. Any energy lost by the group was quickly found again as they all but sprinted towards the base of the mountain and started to climb.

_**Ludwig's Perspective:**_

_There was a man standing in front of him. The man had red eyes and blonde, almost white hair. The man had a cocky smile on his face and a yellow bird on his head. _

"_Hey, little brother, remember me?" the man asked._

_Ludwig blinked. "Gilbert?"_

_Gilbert chuckled. "Oh, you do remember. I thought you'd forgotten me." _

_Ludwig's eyes widened. "Why would I-"_

"_Don't lie, little brother," snapped Gilbert, drawing his sword, suddenly furious. "I _died _for you, and this is how you repay me?"_

_The front of Gilbert's shirt started to darken. "N-no," whispered Ludwig, trying to back up, but he was up against a wall. He tried to draw his sword, but it wasn't there. Even if it was, how could he fight his own brother? _

"_Please, Gilbert, give me more time!" he pleaded. "I'm trying! Please!"_

_Gilbert snarled and raised his sword as his shirt ripped open, revealing a bloody stab wound right through his heart. "You'd better avenge me little brother. You'd better find him. You'd better find-"_

"Ludwig! Ludwig! Wake up!"

Ludwig's eyes snapped open to see Second Lieutenant Feliciano Vargas standing over him, a concerned expression on his face. "Are you okay? You knocked the tree over."

Ludwig looked behind him and he saw that, yes, he had knocked over the cardboard tree he had been leaning against. He quickly set it back up. "Whose idea was it for us to hide behind cardboard trees in the middle of a desert?" he muttered.

"Mine!" chirped Feliciano, looking proud of himself.

Ludwig stared at him and shook his head. Feliciano cocked his head. "So, are you okay? You looked like you were having a nightmare."

Ludwig huffed. "I was not! I vould not be possible for me to have a nightmare because I vasn't sleeping, I was brainstorming military formations. It relaxes me."

Feliciano blinked. "Really? I heard you screaming."

Ludwig growled. "I vasn't screaming, I was... shouting in jubilation because I had found the perfect formation."

"Really? What was it?"

Ludwig glared at Feliciano. "Well, with you yelling, I've forgotten it!"

Feliciano looked sheepish. "Oh, sorry." He walked off to talk with his regiment.

As Ludwig leaned back against the tree, he felt something move under his hat. A small yellow bird hopped off his head and onto his chest. It looked at Ludwig and chirped mournfully. Ludwig stroked the bird.

"I know, Gilbird," he sighed. "I miss him too."

Just then, a voice said "The hell-?" One of the trees further down the line fell over.

Ludwig was on his feet in a millisecond, grabbing for his sword, much to the chagrin of Gilbird, who squawked in protest.

* * *

**Germany: *sweatdrops* That vas... weird**

**Me: If you recognize the "brainstorming military formations" line... I kinda stole that from the first Nekotalia episode (kitties!)**

**Italy: Ve~ Meow!**

**Me: So... please review! Reviews make me happy!**

**America: Hey, Iggy, where were you going to shove that water bottle anyway?**

**England: *****sweatdrops***


	6. -and Fight

**Warning: This may be the last chapter for a week or two because of exams**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

"The hell-?" asked Arthur. "What's with the random cardboard trees?"

Francis touched one of the trees, which fell over. "I'm not really-"

Suddenly, there was a yell of "Charge!" and several soldiers ran out from behind the trees. And all hell broke loose. Well, not _all _of it. The first four circles broke loose anyway.

* * *

Arthur and Francis turned tail and ran with their own matching cries of, "OH, SHIT!"

Matthew jumped behind a rock as Gilbird started dive-bombing his head while cheeping shrilly like a crazy person... er... bird.

* * *

Yao took out a wok and started clocking people over the head with it.

* * *

Ivan took out his pipe and started chanting "Kolkolkolkolkolkol...".

* * *

Alfred grabbed a large, pointy stick and ran into the fray, shouting, "I'M THE HERO!"

* * *

Feliciano turned to his regiment, standing by the tree. "All right!" he called out. "Just like we practiced! Ready!"

Every soldier reached for his belt.

"Aim!"

Each soldier withdrew a white flag and held it up.

"SURRENDER!"

* * *

Ludwig and Honda just stared at the chaos. Ludwig looked at Honda. "Should we be doing something here?"

Honda shook his head. "Let it play out a bit."

"Yeah, man!" said a voice from behind them. They turned around to see Alfred chomping on popcorn. "This is like, loads better then those stupid conferences Arthur holds!"

The boy stared at the two Lieutenants. "Oh, I'm supposed to be fighting you guys, ain't I?"

"_Aren't I_, Alfred, it's _aren't _not _ain't_!" yelled Arthur as he ran by, chased by a soldier.

Alfred shook his head as he ran back into battle. "Dude, I think you have other things to worry about right now."

* * *

Matthew, meanwhile, was still being dive-bombed by Gilbird. Alfred ran up with his giant stick and swung it. "I'll save you. I'M THE HERO!"

Except he missed the bird and hit Matthew on the nose, making him stumble backwards and fall flat on his back. Gilbird made a steep banking turn with a loud "Screeech!" and started dive-bombing Alfred, his small claws aimed at Alfred's face.

"NO, MISTER HITCHCOCK, NO!" screamed Alfred as he ran off.

* * *

Francis held a cardboard tree in front of him as a soldier from Honda's regiment attempted to stab him with a bayonet. "I'm all for going fast," he said, ducking behind his cardboard shield as the bayonet stabbed the air above his head, "but don't you think you should buy me dinner first?"The soldier froze, with a "Huh?" expression on his face, and Francis swept the soldier's feet out from under him. "Besides," Francis said, stepping over the groaning soldier, "You're not my type."

* * *

Ivan and Yao were beating up people with their respective weapons. Not much to say besides that. Moving on...

* * *

Matthew sat up. A small stream of blood trickled from his nose. "Ow."

* * *

Ludwig scanned the battle. His eyes landed on Matthew.

* * *

Matthew got up and dusted off, then saw the soldier running towards him. He ran towards the battle and scooped up one of the white flags. He pointed it at Ludwig, staff first, like a knife. Ludwig grabbed for his sword and cursed. It wasn't there. It must have fallen off while he was running. For lack of a better weapon, he too picked up a white flag and held it in the same way Matthew did.

It was the strangest fencing bout ever. Matthew mostly tried to dodge Ludwig's stabs and actually got a few hits on Ludwig's arms.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "You fence well, for a country boy."

"Thanks," gasped Matthew as he lunged at Ludwig again. "Arthur taught me. You're not half bad yourself."

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Indeed."

They fenced for a few more minutes, parrying and thrusting, before Ludwig posed the question he'd been thinking about since he had heard that Honda and his team had failed. "Why do you resist capture? You won't get hurt."

Matthew raised one of his fingers, and for a second Ludwig thought he was being flipped off. Then he realized it was the boy's ring finger. He saw the large gold ring.

"I know you want this," said Matthew, "but I don't know why. I don't think anyone does. That's why I won't be captured. I don't want to go with you unless I know what I'm getting into."

Ludwig blinked, "I know what you're getting into. You're-"

He was cut off by a sharp clang. Ludwig's eyes crossed and he fell to the ground. Matthew's eyes widened when he saw who was behind him. It was Ivan, grinning maniacally and holding his pipe up. His eyes were unfocused. Matthew backed up as Ivan advanced. "Kolkolkolkolkolkolkol..."

"Um... Ivan?" Matthew said hesitantly. Ivan kept advancing, clutching his pipe. _When Ivan gets mad, he sometimes does not look where he is going_, Yao had said. "Ivan, it's me! Matt-Matvey!" It didn't seem to be working. Matthew slowly inched up the mountain, step by step, his eyes on Ivan. "Ivan! W-wake up!" Matthew tripped over his own feet and landed on his back... again. Ivan raised his pipe...

* * *

Ludwig groaned, sat up and held his head. _Just what I need, a headache _he thought. He looked up and he saw Ivan approaching Matthew. His eyes widened...

* * *

Matthew put up his hands to shield himself from Ivan's blow. _This is going to really hurt... _Except the blow never landed. Matthew looked up and his mouth dropped open. Ludwig had Ivan in a chokehold. More accurately, Ludwig was hanging off of Ivan's neck, but it was still enough to throw the giant man off balance. Ivan was swinging his pipe around, trying to hit Ludwig while trying to avoid hitting himself in the face. Ludwig glared at Matthew. "Don't just stand there!" he barked. "Run!" And so Matthew did.

* * *

Yao watched all this from afar, and an idea began to form in his head.

* * *

Ivan was spinning in circles, trying to dislodge Ludwig, who was actually starting to shorten his breath a little. And shorten it a little more... A little... A...

* * *

Gilbird was still trying to peck out Alfred's eyes. "What the hell?" yelled Alfred. "What did I ever do to you?" Gilbird only screeched in response.

* * *

Ludwig breathed sigh of relief as the large man finally collapsed. That had been close. The boy had gotten away again, but..._You'd better avenge me little brother..._ Ludwig shook his head to clear it. The boy was still safe. That was what mattered.

* * *

Matthew ran through the fight and felt someone grab his arm. He pulled and strained, until he looked back to see it was Francis holding him. "Come on Matthew! Let's go!" Francis pulled Matthew down the other side of the mountain, where Arthur was tending to Alfred's scratches.

"You got these scratches from _where_?" asked Arthur, trying not to laugh.

Alfred threw up his hands. "I'm telling you, Artie! That was one mean bird!"

Arthur scowled. "Don't call me Artie."

* * *

Yao leaned over Ivan's unconscious body. "Ivan," he said, shaking the other man's shoulder. Ivan groaned and sat up. He blinked at Yao. "I... I was hit?"

Yao shrugged. "Choked is more like it. Come on. The others are waiting."

* * *

Honda surveyed the groaning troops, who were nursing scratches, bruises, and bumps on the head. They had been _so close_.

* * *

Feliciano vaguely wondered what was for dinner that night.

* * *

**Italy: Pasta of course!**

**Germany, Japan: Of course...**

**Me: I got the Hitchcock line from my dad. Also, please review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Nightmares, Confessions, and Wrong Ideas

**Okay guys, this chapter is mostly filler, about 4 parts angst, 3 parts fluff, and one part actually plot. This will hopefully satisfy though, until I get the next chapter up (I'm working on it!)**

**Starren Moonstone: I guess that would get a bit confusing. Thanks for the review! As for the secret of the ring... you'll see. I have...plans (rubs hands evily). What exactly was co****nfusing? Was it that you couldn't tell when it switched perspectives, or you just couldn't tell whose perspective it was from?**

**Was anyone else confused about the perspectives last chapter? If so, please tell me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Germany, Italy, the song "Demons", any other Hetalia characters, or the term 'double entendre'**

* * *

_When you feel my heat_

_Look into my eyes_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide_

_Don't get too close_

_It's dark inside_

_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide_

**"Demons" Imagine Dragons**

* * *

Around twenty-one hundred hours, military time, Lieutenant Feliciano Vargas was finishing his dinner-pasta (spicier and with less tomato sauce then his lunch-pasta) under an oak tree when he heard the screaming. He looked up. "Please!" he heard. "Please! Give me another chance, brother, please!"

The screams were coming from the tent the three Lieutenants shared. Feliciano set down his plate, grabbed his white flag (just in case) and crept up to the tent door. He pushed it open. He looked around. There seemed to be no one inside until he saw Ludwig, tangled up in his sheets and thrashing around. "I'm sorry!" he screamed, "I-I won't let him-I promise! I swear!"

Feliciano ran over. "Ludwig?" he asked, shaking his companion's shoulder. "Ludwig, wake up!"

Ludwig shuddered and his eyes blinked open. "I-" He looked around the tent until his eyes finally landed on Feliciano. "Oh, hello. Is it dinner already?" Feliciano stared at him. "What?"

"You were screaming again," Feliciano said. "Are you okay?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "I was _trying _to recover that formation I had thought of but-" He saw the look on Feliciano's face. "You're not buying this, are you?"

Feliciano shook his head. "I didn't know you had a brother."

Ludwig looked down. "I don't. Not anymore."

Feliciano blinked. "Huh?"

Ludwig sighed. "It happened eighteen years ago, right when the war started. Gilbert and I were in the castle when a platoon of Summitists attacked. My brother and I were fending them off, and-well, in the commotion a suit of armor got knocked over. I was backing up and I tripped, the Summitist's sword came at me, and-" he gulped, "my brother saw, and he jumped in front, and the sword..." Ludwig trailed off and took a shaky breath. "Gilbert was killed. The sword went through his heart. There was nothing anyone could do."

Feliciano shuddered. "That sounds _awful_."

Ludwig bit his lip. "Look, don't tell anyone, okay?"

Feliciano blinked. "Not even Honda?" Ludwig shook his head. "Why not?"

"Because," said Ludwig, "I'm the commander of an entire company! If they found out I was screaming at all, especially over something like a nightmare, they'd lose confidence."

Feliciano shifted from foot to foot. "I could help...maybe...if you want."

Ludwig sighed. "How? By making me pasta?"

Feliciano shook his head, "I ate all of it. I was just thinking...maybe I could sleep with you?"

Ludwig sweatdropped. "Pray...pray tell me how _that _would help?"

Feliciano smiled. "When I was younger, I was scared of everything. I still am of course, but that's not the point. So, sometimes, Grandpa Dux would come crawl in bed with me. He'd call me his 'little pasta addict', and then I wouldn't be afraid and I'd fall asleep. So, I thought if I crawled in bed with you..."

Ludwig sighed in relief. "It won't help, but..." he lifted the blanket, "Fine. Just don't tell anyone, they might get the wrong idea."

Felciano slid under the covers. "What do you mean?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Never mind." On top of Ludwig's bedpost, Gilbird opened one eye and chirped sleepily. Ludwig pointed at him. "That goes for you too, _lästige kleine vogel_."*****

Feliciano and Ludwig both lied down on the bed, and Feliciano lay his head on Ludwig's shoulder. "Night bratwurst-man," he sighed.

Ludwig chuckled. "Goodnight...little pasta addict."

No screaming was heard in the camp that night.

* * *

***Translation: annoying little bird**

**Can you tell I like the Ita/Germany paring?**

**Now, what is with that ring? Be patient folks, the revelation is coming!**


	8. What (A) To Do?

**Here we go, folks, the next chapter**

**pastaaddict: Oh, wow. (laughs) I actually didn't notice that. I must've...wow. (Love your profile pic by the way)**

**Disclaimer: I own do not own Hetalia, Russia, the Soviet Union, any foreign language, or Georgia (neither the country nor the state)**

* * *

"What do you mean 'They don't want the ring'?" asked Arthur. The six men sat in a hotel room in a small town they had found around midnight. They were all seated around the coffee table, with Arthur and Francis in chairs, Alfred, Ivan, and Yao on the couch, and Matthew on the floor.

"Just what I said," explained Yao. "If they wanted the ring, and the ring only, they shouldn't have cared about the state Matthew was in. Actually, it would be easier if he were unconscious. For some reason, they seem to care about his well being."

"No kidding, if the guy was defending him," said Alfred, through a mouthful of hamburger.

"Don't talk with your mouth fu-wait, where did you get that hamburger?" asked Arthur, narrowing his eyes.

"Bought it downstairs this morning," said Alfred, shrugging.

"What?" yelped Arthur. "Someone could have seen you!"

"But they didn't," pointed out Alfred.

"You don't know that!"

"Arthur, calm down!" yelled Francis.

"Shut up, frog! We don't need to be followed again!"

Ivan shrugged. "We haven't eaten since we left the bar, I'm kind of hungry as well."

"You shut up! You nearly hurt Matthew!"

"That was bit below the belt," interjected Yao. "And I did warn you..."

"Um...guys..." whispered Matthew.

"I just don't want anyone hurt, dammit!"

"Lighten up, limey!"

"Shut up frog!"

"Guys," Matthew tried again.

"I warned-"

"-need some vodka."

"-the hero!"

"-your fault!"

"My fault? What about-"

"I'm hungry!"

"EVERYONE SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN! NOW!" Everyone turned, shocked, to see Matthew standing up, fists and teeth clenched. Matthew blinked, and, seeing everyone staring at him, blushed and sat back down. "Thanks," he said quietly.

After the shock wore off, Yao cleared his throat, "Matthew is right, aru. This arguing is getting us nowhere. I'll just get something for us to eat and we can move on."

Arthur sighed, "Alright, alright. I'm sorry, I just...want to get this over with, that's all."

Yao nodded and walked out of the room. Matthew got up and walked over to the dresser. He grabbed the pitcher near the mirror on it and started to pour himself some water. "Dude," said Alfred, "that was pretty loud. I don't think I've ever heard you shout before."

Matthew shrugged as he finished pouring. "I...I just got frustrated. I was trying to stop the fighting, but no one was listening..." He noticed Ivan staring at him. "What?"

"I found it!" said Ivan excitedly, "I know what the ring means?"

"What?" asked Matthew. "How?"

"I caught a look at the ring when you were by the mirror. The writing is backwards."

Alfred facepalmed. "So all we had to do this whole time was hold the ring in front of a mirror to read it? Really?"

Ivan nodded. "Da, pretty much."

Arthur held out his hand. "Matthew, let me see your ring."

With some reluctance, Matthew pulled the ring off of his finger. Arthur grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, and held the ring up to the mirror. He rotated the ring, writing down the reflected runes on the paper. When he was finished, he held up the paper.

It read:

ეს არის პრინცი სფეროში SHIRLAND

Francis sighed. "I can't read a word of that! Except the last word. That one I know."

Ivan took the paper and read it over. Then his eyes started to glitter. "This is spoken near my homeland! I know this language!"

Matthew's eyes widened. Could they really have the answer? "What does it say?" he gasped.

"This is the prince of the realm of Shirland!" laughed Ivan. Then he realized what he had said, and he paled. He read it over again.

Alfred blinked. "Wait...what?"

Yao walked back into the room with a bowl of noodles. "I'm back! What did I miss?"

MAPLEPASTAHEROSUNFLOWERBRATWURSTBLACKMAGICROSESNOODLESPANDAS

Matthew sat on the roof of the hotel, staring at the night sky. _Me, a prince?_ The _prince?_ he thought._ That's crazy. This has to be some kind of mistake. I'm not royalty, I'm just me. Matthew._ He heard voices coming up the ladder behind him. Quickly, Matthew scrambled behind a box to avoid being seen. Soldiers! he thought. But it wasn't.

"...don't understand what you're so worried about," came Francis's voice. "No one would hurt a prince, right?"

"Plenty of people, froggy idiot!" snapped Arthur in reply, "Summitists, assassins...and his uncle."

Matthew froze. "The regent?" asked Francis.

"He wouldn't be one anymore if Matthew was confirmed dead. As a regent, he has a king's power, but if Matthew shows up and proves who he is..."

"He won't be king anymore," said Francis, in a tone of realization. "Shouldn't we tell him? Matthew I mean? He has a right to know."

Arthur hesitated. "Let's tell him tomorrow, if he hasn't figured it out already. Let the poor boy have one more night of sleep. He's been through enough already as it is."

Needless to say, Matthew couldn't sleep that night. _Would someone really kill me? Someone in my own family? I'm just a kid! How. Did. This. Happen?_

* * *

**Canada: *blank stare* Wha... Wha...**

**China: I think you broke him aru.**

**Germany: I vill get the smelling salts...**

**Me: If anyone wonders what I used for the runes, it is Georgian, which spoken in Georgia, which used to be part of the Soviet Union so I figured it would make sense for Russia to know it. Sorry if I made a mistake, I used Google Translate.**

**Review, please!**


	9. The Castle Countdown

**Welp, I'm back! And this story is nearly over, sadly. I foresee only two or three more chapters. Thank you everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed. You guys are awesome!**

**Starren Moonstone: You see... (pats head)**

**Angel999FTW: Yes he is. So, I guess you are.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Europe, the Final Countdown, double entendres, or a castle (sadly)**

* * *

_We're leaving together_

_But still it's farewell_

_And maybe we'll come back_

_To earth, who can tell?_

_I guess there is no one to blame_

_We're leaving ground_

_Will things ever be the same again?_

_It's the final countdown_

\- "The Final Countdown" Europe

* * *

Sergeant Lovino Vargas was cleaning his gun (literally, get your head out of the gutter) on a watchtower near the castle gate when he heard a loud bang from inside the castle. He turned around and his eyes widened. The courtyard was on fire. "Fe-Feliks!" he yelped. His partner turned around.

"Like, shit!" Feliks gasped. "What happened? I only turned around for a second, like, I swear!"

Lovino saw a flash of bronze down below. He looked down and saw several men in brown and bronze uniforms running around and yelling. Lovino growled. "Summitists. They must have tunneled in." He grabbed his gun and rang the warning bell to signal the other guards. Then he ran down the stairs. "Come on! Let's get those mountain bastards!"

Feliks was right behind him. "I only turned around for a second!" he repeated. "Like, I swear!"

**Ten minutes earlier:**

The group of six men stood outside the castle wall. Matthew twisted his ring nervously. "So, we're here," he said. "What now?"

Alfred grinned. "We climb the wall, run into the castle, and slam into the throne room. Then _you_ go up the that regant like a complete boss and say 'Yo, I'm the prince. Get off my throne!' And if he says no, you kick his ass from here to Jupiter! That's what now!"

Arthur looked up at the sky. "Please tell me someone has a better plan."

Matthew raised his hand shakily. He still hadn't gotten over the revelations of the past few hours. Like the fact that someone quite possibly wanted to kill him. "This might be a stupid suggestion, but... couldn't we just knock?"

Arthur shook his head. "Alfred was right about one thing. Even if we could prove who we...you are, we could be stuck outside for days or weeks. We need the element of surprise on our side. But..." Arthur paused to glare at Alfred, "We need to be _diplomatic_ about it."

Alfred blinked. "I can do diplomacy, dude! It's just my version involves kicking butt instead of being all boring about it!"

Arthur facepalmed. "Kicking butt is not diplomacy Alfred, kicking butt is the very opposite of diplomacy."

"It is?"

Yao was pacing by the wall, running his hand along the stone. "What are you doing?" asked Francis.

"How old is this castle?" asked Yao.

Arthur thought. "If I remember correctly, over two hundred years old. Why?"

"Because," said Yao, still running hand along the wall, "Age damages a building, correct?"

"...Yes," said Arthur tentatively, wondering what Yao was getting at.

"As does war, correct?"

"Of course," replied Arthur.

"Which would leave the walls riddled with cracks?"

"Yes...oh, I see!"

"What?" asked everyone else. "What?" Arthur joined Yao by the wall. "All we have to do is find a damaged part of the wall and we can- Here! Look here!" Arthur pointed to a large chunk of the wall that had fallen out, leaving a good-sized hole in the ground.

"What is it?" asked Francis.

Yao grinned. "Our way in."

* * *

The six men walked down a corridor. Ivan and Alfred were carrying torches the had picked off the wall. Matthew looked around. The castle was big. And because it was big, it was dark and cold. And because it was dark and cold, it was kind of creepy. Matthew shivered and pulled his coat tighter. He had tried looking around, to see if something, anything, was familiar, but nothing came to him. "This place looks deserted," he commented. "Are you sure anyone's here?"

Francis nodded. "He's right. This place doesn't look like it's been lived in in years."

Arthur shrugged. "I saw lights in the guard tower. They're protecting this place for some reason, right?"

Alfred held up his torch to a wall. "Hey, guys, check this out!" Matthew jogged over to see what Alfred was looking at. It was huge painting. There were two people in it, one a man with light blonde, almost white, hair, and the other a woman with a flower in her hair. There was a dusty plaque below the painting. It read: _King Gilbert of Shirland and his wife Queen Elizabeta of Austria-Hungary_. "I guess those are parents, huh?" said Alfred to Matthew, quietly. Matthew looked at the painting. The man, King Gilbert, had a smirk on his face, and the queen seemed to be holding something that looked like... was that a frying pan?

"Come on!" said Arthur. "Let's go!" The group moved along, but Matthew stayed behind for a second. He touched the plaque and looked up at the picture.

"Hey," he whispered. Then he moved along to join the others.

* * *

"I don't get it!" snapped Arthur, stomping around the throne room. "Where could he be?" The castle was completely empty, it seemed. Aside from the two guards, the place was deathly silent. There weren't even any maids or butlers.

"Not here?" asked Alfred. Matthew couldn't tell whether he was serious or not. Apparently Arthur thought so, because he rounded on Alfred.

"Oh, gee whiz Alfred! Thank you so _bloody _much! I never would have thought of that!"

Alfred raised his hands in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, chill, dude. I was only being sarcastic. Geez..."

Yao assumed a thinking position. "Let's think about what we know about King Regent-"

Arthur cut him off. "Do not say his name!" He shivered. "It gives him power..."

Yao stared at Arthur. "Arthur, we're talking about a _person _here, not some kind of... spirit... wizard... thing. Now as I was saying, what do we know about..." he was cut off by a glare from Arthur and he sighed, "_the Regent_?"

Alfred grinned and jumped up and down, waving his hand in the air like a schoolboy with a full bladder. "Oooh! Ooh! I know this one! He's, like, a general or something! I know this 'cause I memorized all the wars to learn how to be a hero!"

Matthew thought. "Could he be fighting the Summitists?"

"Or," interjected Francis, "he could have gone with those soldiers who were trying to track you down, Matthew."

Alfred seemed to think on this. "In that case, Epic Fail dude."

"Indeed," came a voice from behind them. All of the men turned around. And ther jaws simultaneously dropped. Behind them stood a man with a blond crew cut, his arms folded. "But it seems I've finally caught up."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Run!" he yelled. "Run!"

And so they did.

* * *

"So," asked Feliciano, "is Ludwig going to be long?"

Honda looked at Feliciano. Ever since he'd found the two of them sleeping in the same bed, he'd figured something was going on between them. "The castle is quite big. It could take him a while to find them."

Feliciano leaned back against a tree (a real one this time) and sighed. "I just don't understand why he went in alone. I mean, one against six? It's not that I doubt he could do it, but..."

Honda shrugged. "I wouldn't worry. He just went in, so we shouldn't panic yet-" A loud clanging sound interrupted him. Both he and Feliciano looked up to see smoke pouring from the castle. A figure holding a musket was ringing the alarm bell as if his life depended on it. "Okay," said Honda, "_now_ you can panic." Both Lieutenants, along with the soldiers under their command, rushed towards the front gates.

And that is when Hell really broke loose. All nine circles.

* * *

**It's the final countdown folks! See you later!**

**France: Way to be diplomatic.**

**England: Shut up frog!**


	10. All Nine Circles (CC Part 2)

**Guys, we are nearly done with this story! I hope to update other stories soon (on here and on FictionPress). I'm a bit sorry to end this, you guys are awesome**

**Angel: Yes is is, sadly**

**Pasta: Ask one of the other soldiers, I bet they did (Ludwig: What!). And not really, Arthur's just paranoid**

**Disclaimer: Don't own nothing!**

**Arthur: *threatens me with flying mint bunny***

**Me: I mean, I do not own anything**

* * *

_We're heading for Venus_

_And still we stand tall_

_'Cause maybe they've seen us_

_And welcome us all_

_With so many light years to go_

_And things to be found_

_I'm sure that we'll all miss her so._

_It's the final countdown..._

**Final Countdown, Europe**

"Shit!" screamed Arthur as he ran, "Shitshitshitshitshit!"

"Arthur!" yelped Matthew, trying to pry Arthur's hand off of his arm, "Let go!"

"Like hell!" yelped Arthur. "We," he panted, "are, going, home!"

"No!" snapped Matthew, finally pulling his arm away.

Arthur turned around and blinked, his mouth agape. "What?"

Matthew took a deep breath. "I said no. I'm sick of everyone always trying to protect me. You, Francis, that one soldier, and even whoever... whoever dropped me on your doorstep that night. All of you were trying to protect me. It hasn't worked. I'm not a little kid anymore! And I'm not going to act like one either by running away!" He turned around and walked away, leaving a shocked Arthur behind. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do what we came here to do."

* * *

How could he have been so stupid? How? The King Regent mentally berated himself like this as he ran down the stairs. Of course rushing in would spook them! He had just let his emotions get the better of him... And then he ran into someone. He groaned and put a hand to his head. _Yet another headache _he thought. Then he saw who he had bumped into. "Honda?" he asked. "What are you doing in here?"

"Ludwig!" squealed a voice. The Regent was abruptly glomped by a crying Italian man. "I was so worried!" sobbed Feliciano.

The Regent patted Feliciano's head. "There, there," he said. He looked at Honda questioningly.

"They're here," said Honda, "in the castle."

"Who?" asked the Regent, getting the feeling he wasn't talking about Matthew.

"Summitists," hissed Honda.

* * *

Matthew was running back to the throne room when a vase crashed into the back of his head. He fell over, unconscious. The man who had thrown the vase picked up Matthew's limp body and shoved it in a closet, shutting the door and pulling a table in front of it. "Sorry," whispered Arthur. "I'll be back for you later." He grabbed a spear from one of the suits of armor in the hallway and ran off.

* * *

Ludwig gasped as he saw what was in the foyer. There were Summitists, in their brown and bronze uniforms, fighting the soldiers of Honda and himself, and running after Feliciano's soldiers. Ludwig growled. "How did they get in?"

"I think they might have followed us, aru," said a voice behind him. Ludwig and the other whipped around to see a man with his hair in a ponytail alongside a guy with a goofy grin on his face.

"That's no problem!" yelled the goofy guy, grabbing a spear off the wall, "I'M THE HERO!" And with that he ran into the fray, the other men right on his tail.

* * *

Lovino was running down the hall when he heard a loud bang. He stopped short and looked for the source. The bang came again, this time with a rattling sound. Lovino scanned the hallway. Another bang sounded, and Lovino saw a table rattle. He walked up to the table, curious, and saw it was in front of a door. Someone was banging on said door. He walked up to the door. "Hey!" he called, "Friend or mountain bastard?"

The banging subsided, then a quiet voice came from behind the door. "I don't think that's how it goes..."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Do you want out or not?"

The voice hesitated. "Friend," it finally said. Lovino pushed the table out of the way and opened the door. A man with glasses and a red jacket stumbled out, clutching his head. "I am going to kill Arthur," he muttered, stumbling off. He stopped short of the banister. "Okay, either there are hundreds of soldiers in the foyer, or I have _really_ bad double vision."

"It's not double vision," said Lovino, "the Summitists are here."

Matthew gulped. That's when he saw Alfred fencing with one of the soldiers, as well as you can fence with a spear. A suit of armor had been tipped over. Alfred tripped over it. The soldier's sword was raised...then there was a loud crash as a shield whapped him upside the head. "Leave him alone!" yelled Matthew. The soldier whipped towards Matthew. "Run!" Matthew yelled to Alfred. Alfred got up and was soon engaged by another soldier. The soldier Matthew had hit thrust his sword at Matthew. Matthew dodged and parried. The two fenced, but the soldier had the size advantage. Slowly, he pushed Matthew back up the stairs and out of sight. Only two of the men below saw this: Ludwig and Arthur.

Both of them hurried towards the stairs. Arthur saw Ludwig and leapt in front of him. "What do you think you're doing?" he barked.

Ludwig's eyes narrowed as he slammed the butt of his weapon into Arthur's gut. Arthur fell over, gasping for air. Ludwig rushed up the stairs. "I am going to do what I should have done eighteen years ago!" Arthur shakily stood up and stumbled up the stairs as fast as he could. _I promised I would protect him... _he thought. _And I won't break that promise!_

* * *

**So, I'd say one, maybe two more chapters at most. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this.**


	11. Family Reunion

**Now... it is time. The final climax. What will happen?**

**Also views are OVER 1,000! (is shot for making overused reference)**

**I own nothing. Not even Gilbird (sadly)**

* * *

Matthew was forced backwards down the hallway and back to the throne room. The soldier was merciless, swinging his sword around so fast it became a blur. Matthew could barely block each sword swing. "I don't suppose," said Matthew, "that you'd like to discuss this over some pancakes? With maple syrup maybe?" The soldier just grunted and kept swinging his sword. Matthew ducked as the sword sliced the air above his head. "Okay, maybe we can just talk."

Suddenly, there was a loud screech. A yellow blur zoomed past the soldier's face, raking it and leaving a long scratch. As the blur banked to come back, Matthew saw what it was: a small yellow bird. The bird aimed right at the soldier's face. The soldier screamed and ran away as he was attacked by the kamikaze bird. Matthew ran after them.

* * *

Ludwig was running down the hallway when something slammed into his back. He fell over with a loud "Oof!" He turned his head to see a blond man with the most ridiculous looking eyebrows he had ever seen. "Oh," he said, "You again. What do you want?"

"Why do you do this?" asked Arthur, "Why don't you just leave us alone? Leave _him _alone!"

Ludwig attempted to Arthur off of him. "What are you even talking about? Is it a sin for me to wish to see my brother's son? To save him? To try to make up for the past? Or do you wish to keep him all to yourself?"

"What?" snapped Arthur, "Listen, we had a perfectly fine life before your goons arrived-"

"I knew it!" howled Ludwig, throwing Arthur off.

"You're being bloody ridiculous!" yelped Arthur.

"_I'm _being ridiculous? Let me tell you-"

The two were interrupted by a high pitched scream. It sounded vaguely like "Get it off! Get if off!"

A soldier ran by, swatting wildly at something yellow flying around his head. He was soon followed by Matthew, and both of them disappeared around the corner. Ludwig stared at Arthur. "Look, I'll accept you aren't just being an idiot if you accept I don't murder family members. Deal?"

Arthur sighed. "Okay, deal."

* * *

The soldier lead Matthew through the winding halls until the sounds of battle had faded away. Finally, the soldier managed to smack away the bird, who hit the wall with a painful thump. Matthew winced. The soldier turned back around and glared at Matthew. "I'll receive a great reward when I bring in your head on a platter!"

He lunged at Matthew, who blocked. Matthew winced as the bones in his wrist rattled. He ducked as the soldier took another shot at his head. He felt the wall behind him. He had run out of room. The soldier raised his sword to deal the final blow...

"No!"

"Get your filthy hands off him!"

Not one, but two sword blades pieced the soldier's chest. The soldier looked down, confused, before the life went out of his eyes. He fell over like a rag doll. Matthew looked at his rescuers. Ludwig cleaned his sword off. "That was for Gilbert," he growled.

Arthur stared at Matthew for a moment, and then hugged him. A few moments later, Ludwig joined in.

* * *

Alfred locked the last of the Summitists in the dungeon and breathed a sigh of relief. "That takes care of them," he muttered. He heard footsteps coming down the hallway and he looked up. There, walking side by side, were Arthur, Matthew, and Ludwig. Alfred's eyes widened. "Dude, you okay? What's going on? How come Artie and soldier guy are all buddy-buddy now, huh?"

Matthew smiled. "...it's a long story."

Alfred shrugged. "I've got time."

Matthew shrugged. "It goes like this..."

* * *

**Wow... one more chapter and that's it. Thank you so much for reading and I will see you in the next story.**


	12. Epilogue

Chapter 12: Epilogue

The coronation wasn't a very fancy affair, what with the war still raging. That was fine by Matthew. He was still getting used to the whole 'prince' thing. Well, 'king' thing now. Matthew sighed and adjusted his crown. "Five laws to review, ambassador meeting at seven, and Alfred and his girlfriend are coming over so we need lots of beef," he muttered, "And there's Uncle Ludwig's wedding to help with, Arthur and Francis are still fighting over the last brownie...and then there's the war." He sighed and looked down at the baby polar bear that had been a coronation present. "Another full day, huh, Kumajiro?"

The bear looked up at him. "Who are you?" he asked.

The king laughed and rubbed the bear's head affectionately as he saw Alfred's carriage pull up to the castle gate. "I'm a prince, a king, a kid, an adventurer. I'm a maple lover, a brother, a son, a nephew. I'm Matthew. And I suppose that's All That Matters."

**Cast**

Canada as Prince Matthew

England as Arthur Kirkland

France as Francis Bonnefoy

America (THE HERO!) as Alfred (THE HERO!)

China as Yao Wang

Russia as Ivan Braginsky

Poland as Corporal Feliks Łukasiewicz (a.k.a. the snooty-sounding one)

Japan as First Lieutenant Honda Hiraku (a.k.a. the stony-faced one)

Romano as Sergeant Lovino Vargas (a.k.a. the grumpy-looking one)

Northern Italy as Second Lieutenant Feliciano Vargas

Germany as First Lieutenant Ludwig Herrscher (a.k.a. King Regent von Beilschmidt)

Prussia as King Gilbert von Beilschmidt

Hungary as Queen Elizabeta von Beilschmidt

Gilbird as Himself

Director: Maveriqua

Fandom: Hetalia

Thanks:

To Mom- for getting me started on writing and for signing me up for that creative writing elective (and, y'know, for giving birth to me)

To Dad- for being one of the first people to read and review this and as well as helping with grammar issues

And

To Everyone- who read, reviewed, faved, you helped me keep going on the first full-length story I've completed

**Thank You**

**See You Next Time**


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